Automobile-lock.



J. M. DOUGHERTY (Q H. C. TABLER.

AUTOMOBiLE LOCK,

APPLICATION FILED JuLYH; 1916.

Patented Jan. 2,

i m m u scroMonIts-Locrr.

Specification or" Letters Eatent.

"re .L Me a m s .r ted 2, K.

A plication filed 511131 3?, 1916'. Serial l lo. 1695 355.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN M. Don-enemy and HARRY C. TABLER, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have the control mechanism thereof, which latter includes the steering post and the spark and gas controlling levers. v

The form of locking device herein shown and described is particularly adapted for the Ford make of automobiles, although, with minor changes in form and arrange ment parts, the device can be adapted for oti er makes of motor driven vehicles.

l ng device herein shown and de scriced is an improvement on corresponding device disclosed in our application filed December 1, 1915, Serial No. 64,440.

The principalohject of our present inven tion is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive locking device which can be readily applied to the upper portion of the steeri make, vhich locking device can be readily parts associated therewith.

view, our invention consists in certain novel features oi construction and arrangement oi herein iter more fully With the foregoing and other objects in.

described claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drav es, in which Ii 8. side elevational view of the v post and steering post sleeve of au-' tomohnes, particularly those of the Foul object of our intention is to upper portion of the steering post of an automobile and showing our improved locking device positioned thereupon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. i. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View showing a portion of the locking device and the member utilized for moving one of the locking members into locking position. 5 is a perspective view of the main locking member of the device. Fi 6 is a perspective view of the secondary locking member.

Referring by numerals to the accompany ing drawings, 10 designates the sleeve or housing for the steering post, 11 a hearing at the upper end of said sleeve, 12 a cupshaped housing which is formed integral with said bearing, and 13 an internal gear which is formed in the upper portion of said housing.

The upper end of steering post 14: is journaled in bearing 11, and fixed on the upper end of said post and located within housing 12 is a plate or spider 15 which carries three loosely mounted pinions 16, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the internal gear 13.

A steering wheel 1.? is rigidly fixed to the upper end of a comparatively short steering post section 18, the lower end of which latter is provided with a stem 19 which is loosely mounted in the upper end of post 1%.

Fixed on the lower portion of member 18 is a pinion 20 which meshes with the pin'ions 1.6. Carried by the upper portion of sleeve or housing 10 is a. plate 21 in the edge of which is formed suitable notches with which are adapted to ei'igage the spark and throttle control levers 252, it being understood that these levers are connected to rods 23 which extend downward through sleeve or housing ice The lower end of housing 24 is internally threaded in order that it may be positoined upon the externally threaded upper end of housing 12.

Formed in the top of housing 24 is an opening which serves as a bearing for shaft 18 at a point immediately below the hub of steering wheel 17.

Formed in the vertical side wall of housing 24 are oppositely disposed pockets 25 and formed integral with said housing innnedi ately below said pockets are blocks 26 through which are formed verti-ally lis posed apertures 27.

Formed integral with the 'all of housing 24 and near the lower end thereof is an outwardly projecting lug 28 through which is formed a screw-threaded aperture adapted to receive a set screw 29, the inner end oi which bears against the threaded portion of member 12 to lock the member 26 in proper position thereupon. This set screw 25) maintained in locking position by a short screw 30 which is inserted in the outer portion of the threaded aperture in lug and bears against the outer end of said set screw.

Located in thevertical wall of housing "i i is a key-operated lock 31, preferably of the cylinder type, the bolt-v32 of which horizontally disposed and adapted to be projected into the chamber within said housing to engage over a. ortion of one of the locking members as Will be hereinafter more fully described Positioned within the chamber in lniusing 2% and arranged to slide freely on steering post section 18 IS a circular plate pro" vided on its underside with a series of teeth 34 and formed integral with said plate are oppositely disposed outwardly projecting cars 35 which are loosely mounted in the pockets 25. ltigidly fixed in these ears are depending pins 36 which pass through the apertures 27 in blocks 26 and positioned on said, pins and interposed between blocks 26 and cars 35 are compression springs 37. These springs normally maintain the plate in posit-ion against the underside of the top plate of housing 24 with the lower ends 22. (See Fig. 2.)

Loosely mounted on the lower portion of steering post member 18 is a ring 38 on the upper side of which is formed a series of teeth 39 which are adapted to engage with teeth 34 on ring 33.

Depending from ring 38 is a series of three lugs or fingers 4}) which occupy positions between the pinions 16. (See Fig. 3.) Formed in the top and side of housing 24 is an opening 41, the same being occupied by the upper portion of a bell crank 42, the latter being fulcrumed on a pin $3 which is seated in cars formed on housing 24: to

e the parts so positioned, the rotary movement of pins 36 elevated with respect to the levers neurosis the sides of slot 41. The shorter horizontal arm of this bell crank overlies the edge of ring while the longer curved arm of said bell crank extends downward to the side oi the housing, (See Fig. 4.)

lV hen our improved device is in norma or unlocked position, the various parts 00- cupy the positions as seen in. Fig. 2, it be ing understood that springs 37 maintain plate in an elevated position and disengag d from the teeth of plate 38. lVith of aerating post section 18 resultingv from a manipulation of steering wheel 17 will be transmitted through pinions 15 and 16 to post ll, and as the pinions 16 move around within housing 12, plate 38 will be correspondingly moved by reason of its depending lingers it) which are positioned between unions. zen it desired to more the device into 1g position, the lower end of the curved arm oi" bell era k s2 is engaged and pulled outward and upward, with the result that the short arm oi said bell crank bears on top of plate 83 and moves the same downward against the resistance offered by This lilOYP/lllellt is continued i 3 teeth 3!: of plate 33 engage with of plate and when such engage tala; e. the lower ends oi the pins be positioned directly in front of the levers 22, it being understood that these levers have previously been shifted into out-oli-scrvice positions at the ends of the. notched segments on plate 21. The operator now turns the key of lock 31 so as to shift bolt 82 outward, consequently positioning the outer portion of said bolt above that portion of the ear which occupies the adjacent pocket 25. Thus, the plate 33 and parts carried thereby are lock? in their shifted positions and as plate 38 is engaged by the teeth of said plate 33, said plate 38 cannot be rotated, and consequently pinions 1.6 are locked against movement, thus rendering the steering mechanism inoperative. Thus, with the var ous parts of the device in looking position it will be impossible to manipulate the throttle and spark control levers, and likewise it will be impossible to move the steering wheel 17 in either direc tion.

To release the locking mechanism it is only necessary to manipulate the lock 31 so as to retract bolt 32 from its locking position, which action permits plate 38 to move upward into its normal position under the influence of springs 37 and with the parts so positioned, the steering wheel is free to be moved in either direction and the throttle and gas control levers can be actuated as desired.

While we have shown and described a controlled lock for engaging plate 33 and ports carried thereby, and maintaining the same in lockin position, it will be understood that other forms of locks, for iii-lance, a combination lock, can be utilized with advantage.

A loc ."igdevice of our improved construction is comparatively simple, can be cheaply manufactured, can be readily ap plied to the steering post and housing without changing the construction of any of the thereof, and said device in service forms an effective lock for the steering post and spark and gas control levers or" an automobile, and particularly those of the Ford make.

t will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the yarious parts our improved lcking device can made and substituted. for those herein shown and described, Without departine from the spirit of our invention, the scene of which is set forth in the appended cla We claim:

1. The combination with a steering gear including a, rotary steering post, a wheel, a stationary gear, a drive pinion operated by the wheel, planetary pinions meshing with said drive pinion and the stationary gear, of a member loosely mounted on the steering post having parts normally positioned between the planetary pinions, and a nonrotating locking member adapted to engage s id loosely mounted member holding inst rotary movement.

1. rnhination with a gee steering a wheel, drive pinion ooerated l hing wi QlOilQ'lf' sea-rm o..- nted on the steering pan is normally positioned A ions, a non-rotatber to en age rotary movement, and means "he nonrototahle member in enh loosely mounted member, rith a steering gear rin nest, a wheel, a statioir p nion by the inions meshing with i nion, of a moon and haw en the lllilitilf/ positi are adapted interlock "he loosely mounted member.

ation with steering gear i size-sing post, wheel SlSlZlGIP ninion. opera by the inions -meshing with pinion, of a iner;

nions, and a noirrotating men1- ber loosely mounted on the post and having parts normally positioned between the planetary pinions, a non-rotating member, parts of which are adapted to interlock with parts of the loosely mounted member, and means for locking the non-rotating member and loosely mounted member in engagement with each other.

5. The combination with steering gear, including a rotary steering post, a Wheel, a stationary gear, a drive pinion operated by the wheel, and planetary pinions meshing with the stationary gear and drive pinion, of a member loosel mounted on the post and having parts normally positioned between the planetary pinions, non-rotating means adapted to engage said loosely mounted member for holding the same against rotetion, and means for moving said non-rotating means into engagement with said loosely mounted member,

6. The combination with steering gear, including a rotary steering post, a Wheel, a stationary gear, a drive pinion operated by the wheel, and planetary pinions meshing with the stationary gear and drive pinion,

of a member loosely mounted on the post loosely mounted member.

E738 steering QEUL steering post, en a gear, a drive Qllllfil! operates re whee and with. the stationa member loosely l 1 having planetary pinions me ary gear an pinion. mounted on y 3 i really positioned l the planetary pinions, non-rotating; 11s adapted into locking cooperation with the loosely mounted member, and means carried by said nonrrotating means and adapted to more into the path of travel of the spark throttle control levers Lig in nut with said 00-, mounted ineznb "f? are of "ion with n antoinohil inclr ".es ro -ionary gee. operated by the wheel, and pinions meshing with statiom and pinion, of member loosely olaneta my gear mounted on the and havi inaliy between the pinions, non-rotating roe-ans move into loo i loosely mounted member, means carried b In testimony whereof vie hereunto 'afiix' said non-rotating means and adapted to our signatures, in the presence of two Wit- 10 move into the path of travel of the spark nesses, this 29th day of June, 1916.

' and throttle control levers when said non- JOHN M. EOUGHERTY. rotating means is in engagement with said HARRY C. TABLER.

' loosely mounted member, and means for Vitnesses:

locking said non-rotating means in engage- M, P.- SMITH, ment wlth the loosely mounted member. M. A. 'blononn. 

